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Immigration PathwaysMost people begin by asking what documents they need. With New Zealand immigration the question that comes first is which route is workable given your circumstances today. This page lays the five out side by side so you can read it yourself before speaking to anyone.
Figures with a dotted underline are policy settings and change as INZ publishes them. We re-check them against the current rules at your consultation.
| Active Investor Plus | Skilled Migrant Category | Study to residence | AEWV → residence | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | Funds available— individuals or families, with no New Zealand job needed first. | A profession— applicants able to find qualifying work here. | Younger applicants, or those who want to come as a student first and assess staying afterwards. Also suits people whose qualifications need rebuilding. | Already holding anaccredited employeroffer, intending to work first and convert to residence. | Partners, dependent children, or eligible parents. |
| Main threshold | Growth from NZ$5m／ Balanced from NZ$10m, with the source of funds evidenced. | Occupation and qualification must fall in a scoring category, reaching the points required. | An offer and a student visa. On graduating, the qualification must be aformal tertiary qualificationto qualify for the post-study work visa. | The employer must be Accredited Employer, and the pay must meet the threshold. | The sponsor must hold residence or citizenship and meet the income or relationship conditions. |
| English | Comparatively relaxed for the principal applicant. | An explicit threshold (IELTS or equivalent) . | Set by each school. If English falls short, a language course can bridge the gap before the main programme. | Depends on the skill level of the role. | Partner categories have their own rules. |
| Least predictable part | Evidencing the source of funds.This is where most applicants get stuck — not the amount, but the paper trail not joining up. | Finding the job.The one part of this route that preparation can't make up for. | Choosing the wrong programme.The programme decides whether you can apply for a work visa afterwards and whether it maps to jobs that exist. This is the most expensive mistake on the route. | The employer.Accreditation lapsing or the role being withdrawn both affect progress. | Evidencing a genuine relationship, and waiting for a place. |
| Rough timeline | Measured in years, depending on how complete the documents are. | The job search can't be predicted; after filing it follows INZ processing. | One to three years of study, plus the job search and transition afterwards. | The work visa is quicker; residence needs time accrued. | Varies widely by category. |
| Family | Partner and dependent children can be included. | Partner and children can be included. | While a parent holds a student visa atmaster's level or above, children may attend school here; partners have separate rules. | Partners may apply for a work visa and children may attend school. | This is the family category itself. |
| More | Investor visa page | Ask an adviser | Study planning page | Ask an adviser | Ask an adviser |
In an August 2026 interview, the Economic Daily News reported that one in three New Zealand investor cases from Taiwan is handled by Jomel. Volume doesn't buy a discount; it buys having already fallen into every hole on the route — the source-of-funds stage above all.
Not to alarm you — so that you know before spending anything.
The difficulty was never the amount; it's whether the source can be evidenced. Cash transactions, gifts within the family and older undeclared income all have to be rebuilt into a chain INZ can follow. The earlier this starts, the better.
There are rules about moving between visa categories, and entering on the wrong one can complicate what follows or leave an unhelpful record. Getting the order wrong is hard to undo.
Under the IAA code of conduct, a licensed adviser may not promise an approval. Any guarantee of success is worth a follow-up question. What we can promise is an application good enough to file, and an honest account of the risk.
The rules are online; the judgement isn't — which documents an officer will query, which phrasing invites a request for more information, and when to wait for policy rather than file anyway. That judgement is what an adviser is for.
One on the common misconceptions and risks; one from someone who has walked the route.
Filmed or recorded by us. The content reflects each speaker's own experience and each school's circumstances at the time; courses, places and fees are as published by each school at the time you apply. The player loads only when you click. More videos in thevideo section of the blog.
The logic behind the investor categories, a press interview, and the order of planning for study to residence.
The difference is more than NZ$5m versus NZ$10m. Judged on lock-in period, days required and flexibility.
A press interview on the new investor rules and what families actually weigh up.
School information is easy to find; knowing which option suits you is not. Working back from career direction and existing experience.
The skilled category has an explicit age rule; the investor categories are much more relaxed. If age is your concern, investment or family is usually the more realistic direction. At the first consultation we tell you plainly which doors have already closed, so you're not left guessing.
The point is a chain that joins up: when the money was earned, how, whether it was taxed, and which account it moved through to which. The usual difficulty is that older transactions have no paper record. There are generally alternatives, but they take time to assemble, so we suggest starting at least six months ahead.
Under the current rules a qualifying job offer is one of the key conditions. If you're still overseas with no New Zealand employer, the more practical step is usually to assess the study-to-residence or employer-sponsored routes first.
There is an age limit for including children, calculated at the date of filing. If your child is near it, timing becomes critical — which is why it's one of the first things we work out at the first consultation.
Under New Zealand law, with limited exemptions, anyone giving New Zealand immigration advice must hold an IAA licence. With an unlicensed agent you have no formal complaints channel if something goes wrong, and the way the application has been handled may itself raise questions with INZ.
No pitch, no contract. We check your age, qualifications, occupation, funds and family against current policy, then tell you which route works and which we'd advise against for now.
For a full assessment → the form. Set out your family's situation once and the adviser can give a direction in their reply.
Just one or two questions → LINE is quicker. Remember to send a message after adding us, or we won't see it.
Jomel Limited
Unit G02/7 Rose Garden Lane, Albany, Auckland 0632
+64 (09) 421 0168 | info@jomelnz.com
